Darfur, Two Minutes of Silence Please

This is a response to a PBS Frontline: "On Our Watch," video I watched online for my government class. I am ashamed at myself for knowing close to nothing about this and I have already scolded my eyes and ears for closing so often! Genocide! It is scary, it is all about how this has been an issue and the UN has done nothing about it except pretend to worry about it. They pass resolutions while making toasts: People are Dying and You Are Not doing anything about it? When does the line between political behavior and death get blurred. I just don't get it. That is why while the UN scratches its ass, I will be making movies so I can help spread the voice of all those who have a story to tell, whether it be not the story everyone wants to hear. Anyways, here it is:

Before I begin to splash my ink wildly upon this page, I feel it only politically polite to make a toast: on a Responsibility to protect. For are not the promise of clanking wine glasses the solution to blood-ridden lives?

Darfur, Sedan is a space where genocide in the 21st century may be safely viewed from our computer and television screens. Commencing this madness in 2003, Darfur has unknowingly tumbled into the newest episode of Nazi vs. Jews, Tutsis vs. Hutus, and the Bosnian massacre. Only this time, the episode has a new name, “Janjaweed, the Devils on Horseback Have Killed 499,808 More Lives than Seats in the United Nations.” As most genocides and atrocities begin, the Darfur killings were not of crucial importance or value to the world, mainly due to the silence of the Sudan government. Playing a vital role in a dead-boned civilization, the Sudan government needed not shout as loud as many of its citizens might have during their death, the government instead used its economic partners as blinders to the world. Holding hands with China, its main supplier and Russia, who as well was hushing the ghosts of its own massacre, the three held the fort down on knowingly allowing genocide to blossom.

Three powerful governments, Sudan, China, and Russia played this game of hide and seek. Maybe if we hide, they will not see the blood. While the three Musketeers played their game, men of action such as Kapila were on the path of getting Darfur noticed. Years of writings on this dire issue to the UN did close to nothing for Kapila, forcing him to brand the word “genocide,” on BBC radio. Playing a role in the UN, the U.S. government did no such thing beyond lift a finger during Clinton’s term and clank glasses during Bush’s term. Over time, the U.S. government along with the pressure of the largest anti-genocide rally in May 2006 made its voice heard in the UN. Insisting on passing resolutions to favor Darfur, in 2006 Resolution 1706 was passed: boosting African troops from 7,000 to 20,000, however with only one loophole. China would not agree to the passing of this resolution, unless if it agreed to the terms that the troops could only go in if Sedan agreed, and of course as shameful governments do, Sudan disagreed.

It took three years to get to this point of passing a resolution. That truly did nothing to open eyes at incessant rapes, eye gouging, and family mass killing. However, as a couple of years passed and as hundreds of thousands of heads were cut off and as China was globally embarrassed by being the first nation to host “The Genocide Olympics” on July 14, 2008 the prosecutor at the International Criminal Court filed ten charges against Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir. He was not only an instrumental part to this orchestra of red chaos, but also the composer. As of now, President Obama has stated that along with the UN he will create “a path for long-term peace and stability in the Sudan.” A statement that hopefully all the Sudanese people may swallow and digest.